The present invention relates to cleaning agents, and more particularly to a chemical composition for use as a cleaning, wetting agent and solvent and in other suitable applications.
Various cleaning compositions and solvents are known in the industry.
Some of the solvents are used in textile industry and act as wetting agents in a process designed to remove sizing from cloth before the fabric is dyed or printed.
At the present time, petroleum-based wetting agents are widely used in the process of sizing. Such wetting agents create a number of environmental problems, since they are toxic and cannot be easily disposed of under current EPA regulations.
There are also certain areas in equipment servicing which require that cleaning of surfaces be done in such a manner that there is no film or residue remaining. For example, oxygen breathing equipment requires that the tubing, connectors, gauges and other surfaces be cleansed on a regular basis without any residue or particles of dirt left on the surfaces.
Repair of articles made of rubber or vinyl requires that the surface surrounding a tear or puncture be thoroughly cleaned of any impurities before a patch is adhered to the damaged area.
Electronic circuit printboards have to be regularly cleaned to prevent disfunction of the electronic device due to accumulation of dust or other foreign material on the surface.
In these and other numerous instances cleaning agents containing chlorofluorocarbons are widely used. In 1979 the U.S. Government prohibited the use of this propellant gas for aerosol sprays, except for a few specialized items, because of chlorofluorocarbon's depleting effect on stratospheric ozone.
Along with chlorofluorocarbons, toluene, methyl chloride, trichloroethane (1,1,1) , trichlorotrifluoroethane (CFC 113), and a number of other hazardous materials are used as solvent cleaning agents, dilutants, thinners, etc. Both Toluene and methyl chloride are toxic, flammable, contain explosion risk, therefore requiring careful handling and disposal.
The present invention contemplates provision of a cleaning, wetting solvent agent which is non-toxic, non-flammable and economical, which does not deplete the ozone layer.